The North American Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors (NAUMD) and its Public Safety Suppliers & Retailers (PSSR) division have officially cancelled the 2020 NAUMD Conference & Expo to be held from April 26-28 in Virginia. The NAUMD board also announced continuation of NAUMD Awards Program with an extended submission deadline of April 27.
Winners and runners-up to the Awards Program will be announced on May 17, 2020. The awards programmes to be continued include The Image of the Year Awards, Best Dressed Public Safety Awards, and the Innovation Awards.
The Image of the Year Award is presented by the Image Apparel Institute, recognising the best workplace apparel programmes. Since 1978, the IOY Awards have recognised the organisation’s programme, plus the manufacturers and distributors that created it.
Independent judges evaluate the programmes on 1) originality of design, 2) projection of branding, 3) functionality for the job, and 4) use of technology and innovation. The judges award a maximum of 100 points to a submission. The submission with the most points from all the judges wins.
The Best Dressed Public Safety Award is presented annually by NAUMD to police, fire, and sheriff departments across North America. Independent judges evaluate the submissions based on 1) appearance, 2) functionality for the job, 3) use of technology and innovation, and 4) department maintains uniform standards to determine the best overall uniform programmes.
In addition to recognising the departments, the award recognises the distributors and manufacturers involved in the programme. The judges award a maximum of 100 points to a submission. The submission with the most total points from all the judges is the winner.
The Innovation Awards recognise excellence within the uniform apparel and public safety industries. The categories include Best Fabric Innovation, Best Footwear Innovation, Best Badge or Emblem Design, Best Garment Innovation – Comfort, Best Garment Innovation – Function, and Best Public Safety Product Innovation.